Portable platform for filing-cases.



PATENTED' JUNE 16, 1'908.

A. JONES. PORTABLE. PLATFORM POR FILING CASES.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 1B. 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

wallllllllllfllwlllllfz/l:

v//Iall//l/l/l/A l Ill/11,111,111

M. lla

ms NcmRls PETERS co., wAsnlNGroqf, n, c,

PATE-NTED JUNE 1,6, 1908.

A. JONES.

PORTABLE PLATFORM FOR FILING CASES.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.8. 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET .2.

THE Norms PETERS co., WASH-msnm, n. c4

DUNI'IEIM) STATES .PATENT FFI..

ADDISON JONES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PORTABLE PLATFORM FOR FILING-CASES.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADDISON JONES, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Platforms forFiling- Cases, of which the following is a specification.

Records, books and the like are frequently filed away in suitable casesor tiers of shelves which are arranged on opposite sides of an aisle. Toecononiize space, the cases are frequently quite high, so that therecords or books on the upper shelves cannot be reached from the floorexcept by climbing on the shelves, or using a ladder or the like. As theaisles are frequently quite narrow in order to economize space, it isinconvenient to employ a ladder between the shelves, and moreover, inorder to reach different parts of the shelves the ladder must beconstantly changed from one position to another.

The present invention provides an improved portable platform, togetherwith means whereby it may be readily supported from the edges of twoshelves on opposite sides of the aisle. r1`wo or more of these platformsmay be used to support boards to form a supplemental floor between thetop and bottom of the filing cases or tiers of shelves, and which may bechanged or located at any desired height, so that ready access isafforded to the material upon the upper shelves. Means are also providedfor securely but removably holding the platform in position, so that itmay be readily changed about as desired.

The invention consists in the features of construction, combinations andarrangements of parts hereinafter set forth, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in vertical section on bline 1 1 ofFig. 2, of two 'filing cases or tiers of shelves to which the presentimprovement is applied. Fig. 2 is a plan section on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detail views with parts shown insection on the lines 3 3 and 4 4, respectively, of Fig. 2.

The filing cases or tiers of shelves illustrated, are arranged onopposite sides of an aisle a and comprise the series of shelves t,supported on the lon itudinal partition c and the transverse partitionsd. The filing cases are thus divided into suitable storage corn-Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application led April 18, 1908.

Patented .Tune 16, 1908.

Serial No. 427,838.

partments. It will be understood that the invention may be applied toother forms of filing cases, since it may be readily used with anyarrangement in which two tiers of shelves are arranged on opposite sidesof an aisle. It is only necesary that the shelves on opposite sides ofthe aisle shall be correspondingly spaced, that is to say, that each twoopposite shelves are at substantially the same height.

In accordance with the present invention a transverse portable platforme is employed, which is adapted to span the aisle a, and which isprovided with suitable means whereby it may be detachably connected tothe edges of two opposite shelves. A set of'two or more of theseplatforms e will be provided usually for each aisle, so thatlongitudinally extending floor boards f may be carried thereon, asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 to form a supplemental floor intermediatethe top and bottom of the filing cases or tiers of shelves. Supplementalflooring will form a temporary but secure sup ort for persons workingwith the materia on the upper shelves.

The portable platforms e, in the form shown, are formed of pieces ofboard and are preferably somewhat shorter than the width of the aisle a,so that they may be conveniently handled therein. The hangers which areconnected to the opposite ends of each platform, and which are adaptedto detachably engage or interlock with suitable parts at the edges ofopposite shelves, are preferably in the form of round metal rods 10 bentto a U-shape as shown. These U-shaped hangers preferably extend beneaththe opposite ends of each platform and are pivotally connected theretoby U-shaped metal clips 11, that are fastened to the boards by screws12. The ends of the U-shaped hangers 1() are flattened and bent to formhooks 13, which are adapted to detachably interlock with suitable partsor supports at the edges of opposite shelves. These parts or supports inthe construction shown, are in the form of tubular rods or pipes 14,that are secured in position at the edges of the shelves by U- shapedclips 15. The clips 15 are'fastened in place by screws 16, which extendinto the edges of the vertical partitions d. The pipes or supportingrods 14 are, as stated, arranged at the edges of the shelves t and arespaced slightly apart therefrom by blocks or abutments 17 arrangedwithin the U-shaped clips 15, and held in place by screws 18. Thesesupporting rods extend the entire length of the aisle, as shown in Fig.2, and are held against longitudinal movement by set screws 19, whichare threaded through one or more of the clips 15, into engagement withthe rods, as shown in Fig. 3. Preferably, also, the supporting rods areprovided at their ends with cap pieces 20. (See Fig. 2.) It isunnecessary to provide supporting rods opposite the edges of thelowermost shelves in the filing cases, or opposite the edges of theuppermost shelves. The rods are, however, preferably arranged at theedges of all intermediate shelves as shown, so that the platforms e andthe floor boards f may be suspended at any desired height.

By arranging the supporting rods 14 opposite the edges of the shelves l)they do not in any way interfere with the use of the shelves, orinterfere with ready access to the material upon the shelves. By spacingthe supporting rods a slight distance apart from the edges of theshelves the hooks 13 may be readily engaged and disengaged therefrom,and moreover, the hooks may be so shaped as to securely interlock withthe supporting shelves. As clearly indicated in Fig. 3, the points atwhich the hangers 10 are pivotedto the platform e are closer togetherthan the two opposite supporting rods 14, so that, in the operativeposition of the hangers, the ends thereof extend upwardly and outwardlyfrom their pivotal points of connection with the platform, intoengagement with the supporting rods 14, so that the platforms e and thefloor boards j are securely held in position just below one of theshelves of each of the cases on opposite sides of the aisle. Bypivotally connecting the hangers 10 to the platforms, the latter may beshorter than the width of the aisle and so conveniently handled andshifted from place to place. Moreover, by employing such pivotedhangers, they may be readily and securely engaged with the supportingrods 14 at any point in the aisle, even though vthe distance between therods varies to a slight extent. Vhen not in use, the platform orplatforms may be readily swung down out of the way against the face ofone of the' cases, as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

lt is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the details set forthwithout departure from the essentials of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is :H

1. The combination with tiers of shelves arranged on opposite sidesof anaisle, of a transverse platform and means for detachably securing thesame to the edges of 0pposite shelves, substantially as described.

2. The combination with tiers of correspondingly spaced shelves arrangedon opposite sides of an aisle, of a transverse platform having hooks atits ends, said shelvesv said platforms, substantially as described.

4. The combination with tiers of shelves arranged on opposite sides ofan aisle, of a transverse platform having hook-like hangers pivoted toits opposite ends, said shelves Y having parts at their edges with whichsaid hangers detachably interlock, said hangers extending upwardly fromsaid platform into Vengagement with the parts at the edges of saidshelves, substantially as described.

5. The combination with tiers of correspondingly spaced shelves arrangedon opposite sides of an aisle, of a set of transverse platforms, hangerspivoted to said shelves and extending upwardly therefrom and havinghooks at their upper ends, said shelves having parts at their edges withwhich said hooks detachably interlock, and one or more longitudinallyextending floor boards carried on said scribed.

6. The combination with tiers of shelves arranged on op osite sides ofan aisle, of a transverse plat orm shorter than the width of said aisle,and hook-like hangers pivoted to the ends of said platform, said shelveshaving parts at their edges with which said hangers detachablyinterlock, said hangers in operative position extending upwardly andoutwardly from their pivot points into engagement with the parts at theedges of said shelves, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the tiers of correspondingly spaced shelvesarranged on 0posite sides of an aisle, of a transverse platorm shorterthan the width of said aisle, hangers pivoted to the ends of saidplatform, said shelves having parts at their edges with which said hooksdetachably interlock, said hangers, in operative position extendingupwardly and outwardly into engagement with the parts at the edges ofsaid shelves, and one or more longitudinally extending Hoor boardscarried by said platforms, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the tiers of correspondingly spaced shelvesarranged on oposite sides of an aisle, of a transverse platform,U-shaped hangers pivoted to the ends of said Iplatform and havingupwardly projecting ooks at their ends, and parts at the platforms,substantially as de- Atudinally extending Hoor boards carried by edgesof opposite shelves with which said hooks interlock, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination with the tiers of correspondingly spaced shelvesarranged on opposite sides of an aisle, of a set of transverse platformsshorter than the width of said aisle, U-shaped hangers pivoted to andextending beneath the ends of said platforms and having hooks at theirends, parts at the edges of opposite shelves with which said hooksinterlock, said hooks extending upwardly and outwardly, in operativeposition, into engagement with said parts, and one or morelongitudinally extending floor boards carried on said platforms,substantially as described.

l0. The combination with tiers of shelves arranged on opposite sides ofan aisle, of supports secured in position at the edges of oppositeshelves and spaced apart therefrom, and a transverse platform havinghangers at its ends for detachably engaging said supports, substantiallyas described.

ll. The combination with tiers of correspondingly spaced shelvesarranged on opposite sides of an aisle, of supports secured in positionat the edges of opposite shelves and spaced apart therefrom, a set oftransverse platforms having hangers at their ends detachably engagingsaid supports, and one or more longitudinally extending floor boardscarried by said platforms, substantially as described.

12. The combination with tiers of correspondingly spaced shelvesarranged on opposite sides of an aisle, of sup orting rods secured inposition opposite tllfe edges of said shelves and spaced aparttherefrom, a transverse platform, and hook-like hangers secured to theends of said platform and arranged to detachably engage said supportingrods, substantially as described..

13. The combination with tiers of correspondingly spaced 'shelvesarranged on opposite sides of an aisle, of supporting rods secured inposition opposite the edges of said shelves and spaced apart therefrom,a set of transverse platforms, hook-like hangers pivoted to saidplatforms and extending upwardly therefrom and detachably engaging saidsupporting rods, and one or more longitudinally extending Hoor boardscarried on said supports, substantially as described.

14. The combination with tiers of correspondingly spaced shelvesarranged on opposite sides of an aisle, of supporting rods secured inposition opposite the edges of said shelves and spaced apart therefrom,a transverse platform shorter in length than the width of said aisle,and hook-like hangers pivoted to the ends of said platform and extendingupwardly and outwardly, in operative position, and detachably engagingwith said supporting rods, substantially as described. f

l5. The combination with tiers of correspondingly spaced shelvesarranged on opposite sides of an aisle, of supporting rods secured inposition opposite the edges of said shelves and spaced apart therefrom,a set of transverse platforms shorter in length than the width of saidaisle, U-shaped hangers pivoted to and extending beneath the ends ofsaid platforms and having hooks at their ends extending upwardly andoutwardly in operative position, and detachably engaging said supportingrods, and one or more longitudinally extending iioor boards carried bysaid platforms, substantially as described. ADDISON JONES.

Witnesses:

ELEANOR HAGENow, KATHARINE GERLACH.

